Let steaks and blue cheese come to room temperature. While grill heats, rub steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub two teaspoons garlic on each steak. In small bowl, mix blue cheese, panko crumbs, butter and onions (if desired). Set aside. Transfer steaks to hot grill. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare, longer if desired. With two minutes left, quickly spread crust on top of each steak, close lid on grill. Take off heat and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes before serving.

— Jemelene Wilson

Sautéed Mushrooms

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced

½ cup butter

Red wine

Sea salt

Melt butter in sauté pan. Add mushrooms. On medium heat, sauté mushrooms. Stir often. Splash some red wine into the pan, stirring up the little bits on the bottom. Sprinkle with sea salt right before serving. (Don’t add salt during cooking. It draws out moisture.) Serve with steak.

— Jemelene Wilson

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Summer in Douglas County means a lot of things, some of which get revved up the weekend after the Fourth of July.

If you’ve lived here more than 12 months, you know what I’m talking about. Graffiti Weekend is practically a holiday around here. No doubt the streets are already filling up with classic and specialty vehicles. Many pulled out of the garage or were removed from under their covers; others came from out of town.

With shiny paint, old car smells and the chatter of old friends comes this, our festival — another chance to celebrate life here in the Umpqua Valley.

Our family doesn’t have one food tradition for Graffiti Weekend. We have several.

During the Friday Downtown Show-n-Shine, we often park Betty Lou (our 1958 Chevy Bel Air) and grab a window seat at Brix Grill while we sip coffee and fill up on omelets.

On Saturday morning we try to hit the pancake breakfast out by River Forks Park northwest of town. The Boy Scouts host a fundraiser where tables hold car enthusiasts filling up on a basic breakfast. You’ll sit at long tables and be treated to friendly service by local young people.

My favorite activity is to gather friends together to share a meal. Grilling juicy steaks with sautéed mushrooms and a blue cheese crust is the plan for this year. We hope friends will find time to come by on Friday night to relax away from the crowds. We’ll share side dishes and toast marshmallows over the fire pit.

Although the cars are the star of the show, the friends are the reason we come back every year.

Jemelene Wilson of Roseburg is married, has two daughters and is a substitute instructional assistant for the Roseburg School District. She is one of several bloggers who contributes to Douglas County Moms on The News-Review’s website, nrtoday.com.